Daniel Dennison, State of Hawaii
Another ʻAkikiki Rescued from the ʻAlakai
According to a recent press release from the DLNR, another ʻAkikiki has been recovered from the forest, deep within the ʻAlakai Plateau. The ʻAkikiki rescue missions began last December when it was discovered that only a handful of ʻAkikiki remain in the wild. The rapid decline of this species has been blamed on mosquitos carrying the vector for avian malaria. The situation is so dire that without intervention, the species faces imminent extinction in the wild. Over the Labor Day weekend a team of scientists from KFBRP, Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project (MFBRP), DLNR/PCSU along with bird care expert Peter Luscomb, captured the ʻAkikiki lovingly named “Carrot” for its orange leg bands, and transported him to the Maui Bird Conservation Center (MBCC). The Center is operated by the San Diego Wildlife Alliance. “Carrot” is the father of “Erica” who was captured last December. The 37 captive ʻAkikiki are being held at MBCC in an effort to protect them from avian malaria. The rescue mission is part of a more extensive multi-agency plan to address the mosquito issue in critical forest bird habitat, in order to set-back the extinction clock for this species. You can see a video of the rescue mission below.
KFBRP Featured on BBC
KFBRP Leader, Dr. Lisa “Cali” Crampton, was recently featured on BBC Earth Witness: Voices from the Conservation Front Line. In the interview (see video above), Cali explains why she (and the rest of the KFBRP staff) is so passionate about saving Kauaʻi’s forest birds and how KFBRP is tackling this challenge.
Robby KohleyKHON Feature: Forests for Life, Saving the Birds of Kaua’i
In the first feature of Forests for Life, KHON2 covers the grim future of Hawaiian honeycreepers, which are facing imminent extinction without significant intervention. In the video below, you will learn what KFBRP is doing to save the ‘akikiki.
DLNR News Conference Discusses Forest Bird Extinction Crisis and Potential Actions
In a recent DLNR Press release (below) and news conference (video below), experts discuss the extinction crisis faced by some of Hawai’i’s rarest forest birds. A report was presented to decision makers offering a selection of actions to address the current crisis. Also included in the report are conservation strategies for other species. Experts warn that if no action is taken four species of forest birds would face extinction within 1-10 years and as many as 11 additional extinctions would occur in the next decade.
Birds not Mosquitos Presentation
In the following video, KFBRP’s leader, Lisa “Cali” Crampton and Teya Penniman introduce the Birds not Mosquitos Initiative. Cali will introduce you to Kauaʻi’s forest birds and update you on their status and threats, along with strategies to combat these threats.
Forest Fridays-Episode 4: Is it too late to save our native forest birds?
Forest Fridays Episode 4 addresses the question: Is it too late to save Kauai’s Forest Birds?